Yun Zhang

We are interested in understanding how the structure and function of neural circuits regulate experience-dependent behavioral plasticity, particularly olfactory learning. One way to address this question is to elucidate evolutionarily conserved features in the fundamental underlying mechanisms. For this purpose, I exploit Caenorhabditis elegans, because its nervous system is small and well-characterized and because it is accessible to genetic, molecular and imaging methods.

Our research has primarily focused on olfactory plasticity. In the past few years, our work has yielded new knowledge about the function of the underlying neural circuits. We have mapped a neuronal network that encodes both the naive and learned olfactory preferences. Intriguingly, we have recently identified and characterized compartmentalized activity in the key neuron of the learning circuit that resembles corollary discharge, a major means that the nervous system uses to monitor self-generated motion. We have also characterized circuit function of a set of neuromodulators that regulate learning through ligand-receptor interactions.